Aivaf wins mult-million contract to work on Northern Irish project

Mark Casci

Sheffield-based Aivaf has begun work on a £4.5m transformation of Northern Ireland’s Science and Discovery Centre

The project is the single largest investment at W5 since it opened in 2001 will create seven brand new themed zones and is scheduled to be completed by June 2020.

Aivaf, in partnership with attraction design company Mather & Co, won the £1.85m project to position W5 as a world class science and discovery centre attracting a wider audience from Northern Ireland and beyond.

Lydia McClelland, Head of W5, said: “This major project will create a series of new and exciting interactive exhibitions that will appeal to all ages. We look forward to working with Aivaf and their team to deliver significant change at W5 and to widen public engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) enhancing knowledge and understanding amongst the next generation of budding scientists through interactive learning.”

Bruce Davies, Managing Director of Aivaf said: “We are proud to have been awarded the contract to work on one of Northern Ireland’s leading visitor attractions. We will be using our breadth of skills in designing and developing hands-on interactive exhibits to help create an amazing experience at W5.”

Aivaf specialise in creating amazing experiences and have worked all around the world in visitor centres and museums.

The redevelopment of W5 is funded by a £3m grant from the Inspiring Science Fund – a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome; with a further £1.5m from the Odyssey Trust.